Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND APPARATUS FoR_BINDING MATERCALS
WITH A CURLED-FINGER RING-TYPE BINDER
DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to a mPthod and apparatus
for binding punched materials with a curled-finger
ring-type edge binder, and more specifically, this
invention relates to an apparatus for the delivery o~
such binders to a binding position, opening said
binder, positioning prepunched materials therein and
closing said binder so as to bind the punched
materials together.
Curled-finger ring-type edge binders are known
in the art, are generally ~ormed o~ plastic and
include a spine having a plurality of curled fingers
spaced and positioned along the spine. At one end,
the fingers are integral with one edge of the spine
and are free at the other end so as to resiliently
rest against the other edge of the spine. When closed
these fingers extend through punched apertures in
paper or the like so as to ~orm a bound book. See,
for example, U.S. Patent No. lt970,285.
Devices are known for opening the ~ingers (i e.,
separating the free end of the fingers fxom the spine)
~or binding or editing of the booklet. In one appara~
tus, a machine is provided which includes a comb for
receiving thé binder where the c~mb includes a plural~
ity of spaced tines between which the spaced binder
fingers extand. ~he comb is constructed so that the
spine rests against the upstanding tines o~ the comb
with the fingers extending therebetween. Integral
with the machlne are grasping ~ingers which can be
extended to a position between the curlad ~ingers0
ax.ially shi~ted to engage the curled ~ingers and then
be retracted so as to open or uncurl the fingers
relative to the spine. Prepunched materials are then
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fitted onto the fingers and the mechanism is then
operatPd in the reverse direction so as to permit the
binder fingers to recurl and to release the binder
fingers ~o as to close the booklet. See~ for example,
U.S. Patents 3,122,761; 3,125,887; 3,227,023;
3,7~3,660: and 4,645,399. ~tl~'/ Lf ~
? These machines tend to be heavy duty and are
usually intended for fixed-position of~ice use.
Furthermore, they are expensive ~nd not ea ly port-
able. Moreover, there are times when binding jobs are
to be done in the home or away from office where such
a machine is not suitable.
The art has also disclosed the use of a rigid
elongated member having a tapered forward end for
insertion into a binder so as to spread the binding
~ingers and the spine of an already assembled booX so
as to permit editing, as opposed to binding, of the
book by removal of sheets or insertion o~ other
sheets. See, for example, German Patent 2 36~ ~40 and
Offenlegungschrift 830 636.
It is an object o~ this invention to provide a
binding machine which is inexpensive to construct and
which is suited for use in settings other than an
o~fice.
It is also desirable to provide a machine or
apparatus which is use~ul in binding materials
together and not primarily for use in editing.
~t is another object of this invPntion to
provide a s~mplified low cost techniqu~ and machine
~or op~ning and clQsing the binder~
Binders are ~vailable in numerous sizes and
colors for use in dif~erent binding sit~ations.
It is a further ob; ect of this invention to
provide a binder ~ystem, as set out above, which can
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employ different size and color binders.
These and oth~r objects of this invention shall
become apparent from the following description and
app~nded claims.
There is provided herein a binding system which
includes a replaceable cartridge for carrying a plu-
rality of binders and the tools for opening the binder
to form a booklet. There is also provided a bindillg
apparatus or machine which inclu~es a recessed base
for receiving the cartridge and a cover for receiving,
aligning and delivering prepunched or apertured
materials to an opened bind r at a binding position.
The binding tool is used to open the binder at a
binding position and to close the binder on prepunched
materials, thus binding them together.
Briefly, a cartridge of binders and tools is
fitted into the recess in the machine base for
delivering a binder/binding tool combination to a
binding position. The bind.iny tool is manipulated so
as to open the binder to receive prepunched material.
In this situation, the free end o~ the curled ~lngers
are separated from the spine so as to d~ine a pre-
punched material receiving op~ning or gap.
Prepunahed and aligned materials are delivered
to the opened binder via the mashine cover and engage
the binding tool in the opened binder ~or ~urther
alignment. Th~ binding too~ J.S then removed from the
binder o that the curlea fingers of the binder resil-
iently snap through apertur s in th2 prepunched mate-
rial to be bound so as to permit completion o~ binding
and foxmation o~ a bound booklet. The bound bookl~t
is then withdrawn fro~ the binding machine.
FIGURE 1 is a per~pective view ehowing a closed
binding apparatus according to the invention;
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FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the
opened binding apparatus with the base and cover;
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing a closed
binder with a binding tool in a retracted position;
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, similar to Fig.
3, showing a binder in the opened position with the
binding tool in an extended position;
FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of a
cartridge for a plurality of hinders and tools;
FIGUR~ 6 is a sectional view yenerally along
lina VI-VI of Fig. 2 showing the cartridge in posit.ion
in the binding apparatus r
FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional and fragmen-
tary view of the binding apparatus at the binding
posi~ion with a binder closed;
FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar
to Fig. 7 but showing a binder opened and material to
be bound positioned therein;
FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view along line
IX~IX of Fig. 2 showing the cartridge positioned i.n
the base of the binding apparatu~;
FIGURE 10 is a plan view ~howin~ ~ cartridge in
pos~tion in the base o~ a binding apparatus;
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of an opened
binding machine having binder guides ~o~ned into the
base: and
FIGU~ 12 is a sectional view o~ a base of the
t~pe shown in FigO 11 showing the ~ormation ~f the
binder guid~s in the base.
ON THE DR~WINGS
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Referring first to Fig~ 1, there is shown a
binding appara~us 10 generally which includes a
recessed base 12:and a cover 14 hingedly connec~ed to
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the base 12. The base is recessed so as to receive a
binder and tool carrying cartridge 16 (which is best
seen in Fig . 5 ~ . In general, a binder/tool c~mbina-
tion in the cartridge 16 is delivered to a binding
position adjacent the cover 14 and the back end of the
base 12. Prepunched materials to be bound are depos-
ited, through a slot or passaga formed in the cover,
for alignment with the binder at the binding position
and application of a binder. At that point the binder
is secured to the prepunched material so as to form a
bound booklet. Then the booklet is removed ~rom the
apparatus .
The Machine
Referring first to the binding apparatus 10
gsnerally, the cover 14 include~ an outer wall 18 and
a spaced inne~ wall 20. A pair of side spacing and
alignment shoulders 22 and 24 are provided for coop-
eration in defining a slot or passage 25 between the
outer wall 18 and inner wall 20 and between the
shoulders 22 and 24. This assures alignment o~ any
materials deposited in the slot with a binding posi-
tion. The cover 14 is hingedly connected to the base,
at the cover's bottom and the base'~ hack end, by
hinge conne~tions such as at 26 and 28.
The base 12 includes upstanding rear shoulders
29a and 29b, which are integral with the ~ide edges of
the base at the back and provide connections for the
cover hinges, such as ~6. In addition, the right
hand ahoulder formation ~9b de~ines a thumb-receiving
notch 31 at which a tool operating pull tab can be
positioned and for opening and c:losing a binder.
Re~erring to Fig. 6~ the inner surface of the
inner w~ll 20 o~ the cover 14 includes a plurality of
alignmen~ ribs, such as 30, which define the maximum
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thickness o~ paper that can be carried between the
outer wall 18 and the inner wall 20. It is to be
noted that each rib is provided wikh a taper 30a at
the top end and a taper 3Ob at the bottom end~ As
described hereinafter, the alignment ribs 30 are
positioned in the slot in alignment with spaces
between binder fingers. This permits paper to be
controllably deposited in the slot and bound booklets
to be removed from the machine through the covex.
The base 12 includes front, back, side and
bottom walls, 12a, 12b, l~c, 12d and 12e, which define
the recess and a cartridge positioning rib 32 adjacent
the front end of the base and extending between the
sidas thereof. The apparatus also includes a car-
tridge cover plate 34 which is hingedly connected to
the base as at point 36, which is forward o~ ~ hinding
position at the back end o~ the base. The cover plate
includes an elongated back-to-front-extendlng ~lot,
such as 8, within which a pusher or slide member 40
is movable. The pusher or slide ~ncludes a plurality
of depending finger~ uch as 42, which are construc~
ted to engage a binder/tool combination and push the
same koward the binding position at the back of the
base.
The base de~ines a side-to-side binding position
at the base back end between sho~lders 29a and 29b.
The binding po~ition is defined by the forwardly
extending shoulder 44 and the rearwardly ~xtending
shoulder 460 These shoulders are spaced from one
another so a~ t~ de~ine an elongated slot or opening
extending along the back edq2 of the base and ~he
opening defined by these shoulders i~ generally iden-
ti~ied as the binding position. It is to b noted
that the shouldPrs are vertically off~et or stagg0red
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from one another with the back shoulder further from
the base bottom wall than the ~ront shoulder. More-
over, the exit or terminus of the cover wall ends 18
and 20 is con~tructPd to be aligned with the binding
position so that sheets o~ material can be dropped
through the cover and into alignment with the binding
position.
The Binder Element and Tool
Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, a binder ele-
ment 50 generally is shown with the opening tool 52generally. The kinder is made of plasti~ and includes
an elongated spine 54 and a plurality of spaced,
curled fingers, such as 56, 5~ and 60l which ar~ inte-
gral with one edge of the spin~ at one end and have a
free end which resiliently engages the other edge of
the spine so as to form a curved bindiny finger or
ring.
The binding tool is an elongated member which
includes a leading section 62 that is ~lightly longer
than the binder but narrower than the binder diameter.
A tapered intermediate section 64 is pro~ided as is
the trailing section 66. ~he trailing section 66 is
shown in a curled configuration joined to the inter-
mediate section. ~he trailing ~ection is wider than
th~ binder, and when stretched, is longer than the
spine. The leading end o~ the tool is posltion~d
within the binder and is provided with an operating or
pull tab ~7 ~or cooperation in positioning the binder
and tool in a cartridge and for movement there~. The
back end 70 of the trailing section 65 is cut quare
or transverse to the length of ~he tool7
As shown in Fig. 4, the tab 67 can be pulled
which cause~ th~ leading section to be pulled from the
bindex, the intQrmediate ~ection to engage the fingers
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and spine, and the trailing section 66 to hold the
spine and fingers in an opened position so as to
define a gap 68 between the spine 54 and the ~ree end
of fingers such as 56, 58 and 60. The tool is longi-
tudinally flexible, but laterally stif~. It has been
found that the tool, when it is mair.tained in a hori-
zontal p~sition, causes the spine and fingers to
separate and the binder to rotate so that the gap 68
is in the upwardly open position. The end 70 of the
trailing section is cut transverse of the length of
the tool so that as the tool is withdrawn from the
binder and past the end o~ a finger, the finger will
resiliently snap to the closed or curl~d position.
The Cartr d~e
The cartridge 16 is constructed to carry a
plurality of binder/tool combinations. For con-
venience, there can be a number of different car
tridg~s for different color binders or di~ferent
sizes.
Referring now to Fig. 5, the cartridge 1~
includes a front wall 16a, a back wall 16b/ side walls
16c and 16d and a bottom wall 16e. The walls define a
bottom 7~ which is shaped to provide a guide recess 74
for engaging the guide rib 32 so as to orient the car-
tridge relative to the binding apparatus. The car-
tridge bottom includes a well or.large opening 76 on
one side, such as 16c, which extends ~rom the fron~ to
the back o~ the cartridge and raceives the coiled
trailing section of the opening tool. The cartridge
also include~ a plurality o~ hind r spine-engaging
ribs, such as 78, 80 and 82, which extend between the
front and back walls, and ~orm therebetween a plural-
ity of binder finger-xeceiving channels such as 8~ 86
and 88. Th~ cartridge bottom includes an elongated
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~lat suxface or ledge, such as 90, on the other side,
such as 16d, on which the opening portion of the tool
or tab 67 rests for spacing the tools from one another
and for opening. The ledqe or ~lat portion 90 of the
cartridge defines a notch 92 aligned with the binding
position for ~rasping an exposed tah, such as 67, and
pulling the tool through the binder 60 as to open
and/or close the binder when in the binding position.
This notch 92 is constructed to be aligned with the
lo apparatus notch 31.
It is noted that in this construction, the
curled binder fingers extend into the channels or.
recesses, such as 84, 86 and 88, and the spine, such
as 50, rests on the top surface o~ the ribs. A car-
tridge cover 94 is provided for covering most of thebase of the cartridge. The cover closes the top of
the cartridge, is adhered to the peripheral edges of
the cartridge, and is spaced from the ledge 90 and
binders so as to permit movement o~ the b.inders within
the cartridge.
The cover also defines a side-to-~ide oriented
binding position or 510t 96 at the back end of the
cover and a pair o~ ~ront-to-back oriented pusher
receiving slots 98 and 100, which axtend ~rom the
front ed~e of the cartridge toward the binding ~lot~
The push~r slots 98 and lO0 are inkended for coopera~
tion with the cover plate 34 and pusher ~ingersl such
as 42a or 42b, so as to permit the pusher to ~ngage
the binders and to push a binder~tool to th~ binding
position slot 96.
For convenience, the slots may be covered with
releasable adhPsive tape-typ~ members, such as I02,
1~4 and lQ6. In use such member~ can either be
separate or a single adhesive sheet extending across
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the entire top surface. Use of the adhesive mambers
or sheet to close the slot permits ready transporta-
tion of the separate cartridgPs and prevents loss
thereof during shipment and prior to use.
The Cartrid~e and_the Apparatus
It is noted ~rom Figs. 9 and 1~ that the pusher
element 40 and wings or legs, such as 42a and 42b,
orient and push the binder elements. Fig~ 9 shows the
cartridge positioned in a basP~ There the cro~s-
section of the rib-like members 78~ 80 and 82 and the
finger-receiving channel~ or dep~essions 84, 86 and 88
are seen. Also seen is the manner in which a binder,
such as 50, and a tool 52 fit within the cartridgeO
As seen in Fig. 9, the binder fits in the cartridge
with the fingers depending downwardly into the channel
or depression between ribs, such as 78, 80 and 82, and
the spine 54 rests on the top ~dge of the ribs. The
coiled end o~ the tool 66 is disposed in the well 76,
the tool's leading section 64 extends through the
binder, and the tabs, such as 67, rest on the ledge 90
of the cartridge 90.
~eferring now to Fig. 10, a plan view of the
cartridge in the base is shown. There it is seen that
the pusher 40 includes the fingers 42a and 42b ~or
engaging binder, The ~ing~rs 42a and 42b extend
through the slots 98 and 100 in the cartridge. The
binding position slot 96 i~ æhown with the bindar in
position to be opened and to bind paper inserted
therein. It is noted that the slot is carefully
dimensioned so as to have a width and length ~imilar
to ~he profil~ of th~ binder. In addition, the guide
ribs, such as 30 in the cover member, are shown for
use in guiding the paper into thP- binding position.
Referring back to FigD 7, it is seen that the
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binding position is further identified by the slot 96,
as shown therein, and the slot 96 is generally aligned
with the opening defined by the cover members 18 and
20 and ~y the shoulders 44 and 46.
Operation
This system can be used by first opening the
co~er section 14 so as to expose th~ internal portion
of the apparatus.
The puncher cover 34 is raised so that the
machine is prepared to receive the cartridge. An
appropriate cartridge is selected and the adhesive
members 102, 104 and 106 are removed so as to expose
the pusher slots 98 and 100 and the binding slot 96.
once the adhesive members are removed, the cartridge
is positioned in the machine, and the cover 34 is
closed so that the pusher 40 engages the binders, such
as 50, so as to push the same toward the binding
position.
Referring to Fig. 7, it is shown that the
bindexs have been pushed rearwardly in the cartridge
and that a binder is positi~ned in the binding posi-
tion below the cartridge position 95 and below the
slot foxmed by cover shoulders 44 ~nd 46 ~nd end
shoulders 26 and 28~ In this position, a binder pull
tab, such as 67, which is exposed in the right -hand
rear notch 3~, is pull~d outwardly ~rom the machine, ~ :
which causes the intermediate tool section 64 tQ
engaye the binder spine 54 and initially ~urled
finger~.
In this situation, th~ binder rotates to an open
position in which the least forc~ is r~quixed to
spread the finger~ and the spine. The binder spine in
a sense rotat~æ backwardly and downwardly and engages
the upper or rearward shouldex 44, and the ~ingers
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engage the lower or forward shoulder 46 so as to form
the gap 68. The spine can b~ thought o~ as rotating
from an upper horizontal to a rearward vertical posi-
tion. This is seen in Fig. 8 wh~re the tool has
opened the binder and the binder rises by the tool
cooperating with the rib tops and trailing section of
the binder. In this condition, the spine 54 engages
the back sur~ace of the cartridge and the under~ide of
shoulder 44. The fingers, such as 56, open and engage
the shoulder 46 and also de~ine a gap 68 between the
edge of the binder spine and freç end of the finger so
as to receive paper dropped therein. The paper to be
bound is prepunched and dropped into the c~ver where
it engages the back or top surface of the cover 14 and
the ribs, such as 30, so as to be aligned with the
binding position as it is dropped into the gap 68 of
the open binder. The trailing section o~ the tool,
such as 66, is shown forcing the binder open and
holding it in the binding position~
The paper ~10 has an edse 112 ~which is usually
a side of the booklet) which engages the tool trailing
section 66 for vertical alignmentO The paper has been
punched so as to de~ine binding apertures 114. The
distance between the edge 112 of paper and adjacent
aperture 114 is known as the back ~auge distance. It
is seen that the free end o~ the finger~, uch as 68,
is generally aligned with the aperture so that when
the finger is released, it will snap through the
aperture so as to bind the paper at that point to the
binder. Thus, the back gauge distance and binding
apertures are such that the apertures and the fingers
are generally alignedO In addition, the lateral
alignment, i.e., along the length o~ the binder, is
assured by the lateral or ~ide-to side constraints on
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the binder and on the deposited paper.
Based upon the alignment of the finger relative
to the aperture and tool and the side-to-side po~i-
tioning of the paper and binder, binding throu~h the
aperture is achieved.
After the tool is first pulled and all o~ the
fingers are held in the open position, the paper is
deposited and the tool is then further withdrawn. As
the tool's back edge 70 passes thP fingers, it
releases them and they resiliently snap and lock the
binder onto the apertured paper so as to bind the same
together and form a booklet. Then the tool is fully
withdrawn so as to complete the binding and may be
discarded.
The bound material is removed from the machine
by pulling it upwardly through the cover. When a
bound booklet is pulled up through the cover 14 and
slot 25, as indicated previously and seen be~t in Fig.
10, the alignment ribs 30 inside kh~ cover slot 25 are
aligned with spaces between the binder ~ingers. This
alignment permit~ the bound booklet ~l.e.~ paper and
binder) to be withdrawn upwardly through the slot~
The distanca between the i~ner wall 20 and ouker wall
18 is greater than the diameter of a binder. With the
foregoing dimensioning and positioning, the completed
booklet can be withdrawn from the binding machine. It
is then possible to remove the cartridge, which per-
haps has in it:black colored binders and replace i~
with a di~erent colored cartridge that is desired or
binding can be continued with other binders in the
same cartridge.
Referring to Fig. ll, an altexnative machine
embodiment 150 generally is shownO This e~bodiment
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includes a base 152, outer cover 154, pusher cover
156, and notch 158 for exposing and withflrawing a
binder opening tool, binding position (not shown), and
most other components as shown in the principal embod-
iments in FigsO 1~10 and described hereinbefore. Theprincipal difference between the prior embodiment and
this embodiment is the ormation in the base of the
binder divider ribs, well and ledge, which in the
first embodiment was part of the insertable and remov-
able cartridge.
The puncher cover is hingedly ~onnect~d to thebase and carries a pusher memh~r 158 generally which
is operated to push binders from the ~ront of th~
machine to a binding position at the back.
The base includes a plurality of ~paced and
upstanding binder supporting ribs~ such as 160, 162
and 164, that extend from the front of the machine to
the binding position at the back. The ribs define
channels, such as 166 and 168, ther~between ~or
receiving binder ~ingers. In other wordq, the binder
spine rests on the top of the ribs and the ~ingers in
the channels therebetween. This is best seen in ~ig.
12 with re~erence to binde~ 170, generally having a
spine 172 and downwardly extending fingers such as 174
and 176. Walls in the base al~o fo~m the well 176 on
one side o~ the ribs within which the coiled trailing
end 180 of a binder opening tool 178 is position~d.
~ tool receiving ledge 182 is ~ormPd on the
other side of the ribs and the leading end 184 o~ a
tool, uch a~ 178, rests thereon and i~ supported
thereby in it~ moYement toward the back end of the
machine and the binding position.
The operation of this embodiment i~ similar to
that of the previously~d~scribed embodiment in that
s~
the pusher cover 156 is closed, the binders are pushed
rearwardly to the binding position, the binder tool is
withdrawn to open the binder, apertured paper to be
bound is guided thereto and the tool is ~ully with-
drawn so as to close the binder on sheets and form abooklet.
Although the invention has been described with
respect to preferred embodiments, it is not to be so
limited as changes and modifications can be made which
are within the full intended scope o~ the invention as
defined by the appended claims.
